Ladies in Trade: Supporting Women in the Workplace.

Work sites, stereotypically, have been seen as a man’s world for decades. But the times, they are a’changing.

With more women getting trade certifications than ever before, we chatted with Aimee Stanton – plumber-turned-tiny house builder, presenter and speaker – about the huge opportunities this offers, and the support available.

I’m going great! Currently I’m away on a 3-month honeymoon adventure around Australia – so, definitely can’t complain.

But I still try to get 3 hours of work in most mornings between 4 and 7am, then I can enjoy myself for the rest of the day and still chase those dreams! Wooohooo.

I’m currently working hard on launching a new business venture for women’s workwear, Kahuna Workwear. I’ve been doing years of research to try and make sure women are as comfortable as possible on site and have the right workwear with the right fit. I’m so excited to launch this year – it’s going to be an absolute game-changer for women in construction/renovators/etc.

Also, my brother Ben and I are still building tiny houses for our unique, off-grid accommodation business, Tiny Stays. We have five tiny houses around Victoria, and we’re in the middle of building another two.

Well, I used to study beauty therapy… then realised I couldn’t paint nails to save my life. My next choice? I wanted to be the red Wiggle, but my careers teacher said my chances were slim.

So, I did a bit of work on the tools with my dad, who’s a builder, and thought ‘Dang, it’s fun being hands-on outside – I could get into this!’

As for why I went down the plumbing road… no, it’s not because I like dealing with poo. When I was young, my dad used to take me to the servo for an icecream after we went camping. One time, I reached to pick out a Magnum – Dad looked at me and said ‘Sorry Aimee, you can’t have that one, that’s a plumbers’ ice cream; only plumbers can afford Magnums. In this house, we eat Frosty Fruits.’ 

So, I feel I always had in the back of my head that if I was going to get into a trade, it would be plumbing, so I could buy all the Magnums I like!

I think there’s more motivation out there to chase your passion, no matter what it is.

As negative as social media can be sometimes, it’s had a huge positive impact on women in the trade – bringing awareness that anyone can do it if they want to. I’ve never seen such a tight group of women supporting women, sharing their passion and love for the tools and inspiring other ladies to get out there and give it a crack.

One of the things I love about the culture of more women being on the tools is the energy they bring to the job site – they love it so much. Yes, in some cases they might feel they have to prove themselves more, but that just leads to ladies giving 110% every single day – because they WANT to be there, not because they HAVE to be.

I know first-hand the change that’s happened in the last 10 years. A decade ago, after I’d finished my pre-apprenticeship, I applied for over 120 jobs to all different plumbing companies – and I only heard back from one.

These days, lots of companies now have a mandatory gender quota to reach on major jobs. I think the most magical thing about this is, if you feel you’re getting employed to just reach a quota… don’t stress! Who cares? Just go out there and show them that you’ll be the best darn apprentice they’ve ever hired.

Because everyone deserves to take whatever career path they want to in life. Female, male or non-binary, if you have a passion for what you do and want to learn, listen and rock up on time, then you deserve a fair go.

Schools are a huge one. I think careers teachers need to express the fact that taking on an apprenticeship is an option for women – and a bloody good one!

I have also found many women are scared because they think apprentices get ‘bad pay’, which isn’t the case. In fact, you’re being paid to study, which is amazing! Instead of going to uni and forking out a huge HECS fee, you’re going straight to work on the job site and getting money to learn! What an awesome concept an apprenticeship is.

Yes, EWIT (Empowering Women in Trades)  is a great one for any ladies out there who want to explore all the different apprenticeship options and ways to get on the tools.

Also, my phone is always open to chat. Hit me up on @aimeekatestanton – I’m more than happy to chat with anyone wanting to follow the path of a trade.